MSI Introduces “Latency Killer” Feature for AM5 Motherboards to Address High DDR5 Latency
MSI has rolled out a new feature, Latency Killer, for its X870/X870E motherboards to combat elevated DDR5 memory latency caused by the AGESA 1.2.0.2a update, which added support for Ryzen 9000X3D processors. However, the fix comes with a potential tradeoff: reduced CPU performance.
What Is Latency Killer?
The Latency Killer feature, now available on select MSI motherboards, allows users to mitigate the roughly 10ns increase in memory latency introduced by the AGESA update.
How It Works: The feature is accessible through the BIOS with three settings: Auto, Disabled, and Enabled.
Impact: Testing by @unikoshardware showed that enabling Latency Killer reduced memory latency from 74.7ns to 66.7ns on an MSI MPG X870E Carbon Wi-Fi board using AIDA64 benchmarks.
Performance Tradeoff: While effective at reducing latency, MSI warns that enabling the feature might reduce CPU performance, though the impact varies and might not affect all workloads.
Key Test Results
System Setup: EXPO-enabled 8000 MT/s DDR5 memory with High Efficiency Mode (Tightest).
Before and After: Latency dropped by around 8ns after enabling the feature.
Application Impact: While AIDA64 scores improved, the real-world benefit in gaming and everyday applications remains negligible for most users.
How to Use It
Update BIOS: Ensure your motherboard is running the latest AGESA 1.2.0.2a BIOS.
Enable Latency Killer: Navigate to the BIOS and set Latency Killer to "Enabled."
Monitor Performance: Watch for changes in memory and CPU performance to decide if the tradeoff is worth it for your specific use case.
MSI’s Warning
The BIOS description for Latency Killer notes:
"Enhances latency performance but could potentially reduce CPU performance."
This suggests that users may need to balance memory performance improvements against potential drops in CPU performance, especially in tasks sensitive to processor speed.
What’s Next?
As MSI works to refine this feature, further feedback from users and additional tests will shed light on its broader applicability. The company’s proactive approach ensures that users don’t have to revert to previous BIOS versions to regain performance.
Engagement Question
Are you willing to trade a slight reduction in CPU performance for improved memory latency on your system? Let us know your thoughts below!
